It was a day in which two action plans got ‘actioned’, writes Miriam Lord

It’s all action in Government these days.

Action plans for everything.

This is because the boss returned from his summer break full of beans and big ideas. He must be driving everyone mad at the moment.

The major plan yesterday was on housing – though an initiative promoting healthy weight was also launched. Speaking afterwards on RTÉ radio's Drivetime, the junior minister for health, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, stressed that where this initiative is concerned, "the key word in there is 'action'. It's an action plan, it's an obesity policy that is actually actioned and that is a first."

For Europe, at that.

It seems Enda’s second-termers are only now cottoning on to the real meaning of “action”. They appeared to think it was this glamorous word associated with movie directors and clapperboards, and throwing it into the title of policy documents would make them sound more exciting and relevant.

But it didn’t mean anything would get done.

So it was good to hear Marcella express her belief that it is imperative for action to be taken if an action plan is to work.

The TD for Offaly was merely echoing a view expressed earlier by her Taoiseach, who headed a stellar cast at the top table in Government Buildings for the launch of the "first pillar" of their Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. He was joined by Minister for Children Katherine Zappone and the Simon Community (Coveney and Harris).

Four Ministers of State sat in the front row.

Apropos the plan, there will be five “pillars” in all, which sounds very swanky. Four walls and a roof are sufficient for most people.

Back in 2011, Enda Kenny promised to take action and eliminate homelessness by 2016. He admitted that this hasn't gone to, eh, plan. "It hasn't gone as well as we'd have liked."

However, in July Coveney launched his “Rebuilding Ireland” action plan. That had five pillars too, hewn from the same stone as the five he announced yesterday.

The earlier effort is remarkably similar to the latest one.

Simon sounded a little hurt when it was suggested that there was nothing new in the new action plan.

Pillars

“There’s a whole load of new things,” he insisted. “This is a rolling, changing, improving plan the whole time.”

The second pillar is arriving in a couple of weeks.

Simon Harris, the Minister for Health, announced a series of actions to be undertaken by his department. “An identified gap has been identified,” he declared.

Katherine Zappone said she would be going all out to improve the lot of children trapped with their families in a homeless situation. “Children are only children for such a short period of their life.”

She was sure the actions she wanted to take would be approved by the Taoiseach and said as much, giving Enda a stern look as she did so.

Putting action into action was of great concern to the Taoiseach. According to him, the previous plan – launched in the same place and in similar style in July, with lots of ministerial heavyweights on hand for the formalities – was only an action plan on working towards an action plan.

Simon Coveney had 100 days to prepare it, and Enda was pleased to observe that his Minister delivered.

However, that first action plan, for all the palaver when it was revealed, was not the real deal.

“But that’s a plan,” explained the Taoiseach. What is more important “is to make it happen, where the impact of Government is going to be.”

“Now that we have this plan, the emphasis is now on implementation,” he added. “You can be sure that we mean business in this regard.” Enda then showed his eagerness to get down to brass tacks after the speeches by bypassing the media handler and inviting questions from the floor.

Clearly, he wants Ireland to become the best small country in the world in which to take action.

Impressive

For all that might be or might not be new about yesterday’s announcements, Simon Coveney sounded in impressive command of his brief and gave the impression of a man who is determined to make this work. Should he achieve any significant measure of improvement, it will increase his standing as a future Fine Gael leader.

Fr Peter McVerry was among a number of people who work in the area of homelessness invited to attend the launch. He was certainly impressed by what he heard – “most detailed comprehensive plan on homelessness I’ve ever seen” – but he wasn’t going to get carried away.

“Until we see the monthly figures of the homeless reducing I will reserve my applause.”

But Coveney sounded very determined, saying this action plan “includes over 80 separate actions structured under five main pillars of concerted actions right across Government”.

The Taoiseach, for his part, said the issue of housing and homelessness is a complex issue which “requires a cross Government response.”

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy also talked of the need for “a cross-Government response” in tackling obesity.

In terms of action, a cross Government would be the best possible outcome in both areas. A cross Government might get things done. If they have become genuinely cross about issues such as homelessness, there is hope.